Most of us thrive on responsibility – we like being helpful and active, and we try to make a positive impact on the world by getting involved in things that we’re passionate about.
However, in our desire to contribute and grow, we sometimes take on more than we should. So how do you keep from over-committing?
Too many logs in the fire
Firstly, it’s important to make sure you are not involved in too many areas to begin with. By that I mean you need a primary place you are involved in – say, as a volunteer at an organisation – and perhaps a secondary area. Having too many logs in the fire is never healthy, and if you’re overextended to begin with, you’ll never be able to contribute in a meaningful way in any case.
This doesn’t mean you can’t help out in any other areas. But if you’re going to grow and you really want to make a difference, you need to focus your attention where it is the most valuable, rather than spreading yourself too thinly.
Being involved in ten different projects doesn’t make you more valuable – it only dilutes your contribution. It means you can’t give 100% to anything you’re involved in. However, if you focus on one or two main things, you can bring all your strength, experience, and wisdom, and make a real difference.
Are you busy or effective?
In the end, it’s not about how busy you are, but about how effective you can be. It’s not about how much you can take on, but about how well you steward the little that you have. In order to become effective, you may well have to pull back from other areas of involvement – but that’s not a bad thing if it helps you to make a bigger impact in the things you are really good at.
So take a step back today and ask yourself: Am I as effective as I can be, or am I running around without making much of an impact at all?
Godspeed.